My pledge of quality ouNeurOntogenicsTM ?

Dr. Robert

Weissfeld

Chiropractic

Acupuncture

Neural Therapy

Nutrition

QRA

Denver

Holistic

Chiropractic

Acupuncture

Kinesiology

2557 S. Broadway

@ yale

Englewood, CO

1/2 block outside of Denver

NeurOntogenicsTM  - a neurobehavioral approach to stress, pain and illness.

Without the mind and learning we are inert.  Without the instructions for action - motivation, intention, learning - the nervous system is like the unattended  computer sitting on your desk.

The nervous system is shaped and developed through learning.

The  endocrine glands and organs also operate based on learning. This learning may occurs at any level, from the individual cell to the integrated function of the nervous system. Ergo the statement: all physiology is behavioral.  Everything that an organism does internally or externally, is behavior.  Every toxin or invasive organism attacked by the immune system, every drop of seratonin or dopamine secreted by a neuron, control level of testosterone in your body, blood pressure, the feeling of hunger, scratching the itch on your nose - all are behaviors undertaken by the body.

All behavior is learned or affected by learning.

Every behavior has a learned component.  For most behaviors, that learned component, we may call it habitual component, makes up a large measure of the behavior.

Much of our behavior therefore, was developed for what happened in the past.

This brings up the question, how much of what was true for the situation yesterday, a year ago or 25 years ago is still true for today? Are we putting our best foot forward based on the real needs of the present moment?

Are we just operating out of habits created for a different situation?

In order to answer this question we need to introduce two terms: adaptation and maladaptation.

What is adaptation?

In response to each physical, chemical, mental and emotional stress that we encounter, we develop strategies or ‘postures’ to adapt to it. These postures are like programs we load to accomplish life’s tasks.The ability to adapt is crucial to our survival.

Adaptation is learning.

Naturally, we expect that such adaptation would ‘reset’ - the programs would ‘close’ -once the stress was gone, but in fact, this may not be the case.  If the stress repeats or has persisted for a time, or it is particularly meaningful because of its intensity, pain or potential for harm, the adaptive postures may become locked in. The altered function becomes the new constant, either operating continually or triggered in various situations.

Adaptation that continues beyond its time of need may cease to be useful and in fact become harmful. this is known as maladaptation.

It is as if after a tornado went by a town, alarms would come on every time a cloud passed overhead, and residents repeatedly, unnecessarily, run to their basements. Thus, the critical alarm (adaptation) has become a disruptive factor (maladaptation).

Next - what is maladaptation and how does it affect our health and well-being?

‘Neurontogenic-’  definition  

‘nurontogenic’ derives from

neur - neur (nʊr) pref - relating to the nervous system

ontogenic - onto·genic (ŏn-tŏj'e-'nĭk) adj.– from the Greek word ontic - having real being - relating to the origin, essence or nature or development of an organism or object   

neurontogenic adj.- relating to a fundamental behavioral or functional capacity of the nervous system.

Neurobehavioral treatment - a completely new approach to the same old problems

Neurobehavioral treatment is treatment based on neurological principles of learning and memory and how they affect function (behavior).

 “the organizing activity of living systems, at all levels of life, is mental [behavioral] activity”  - Fritjof Capra Ph.D., Physicist (1996) ,  

“All physiology is behavioral – it operates based on learning... we create new biology on the fly.” - Peter Litchfield Ph.D., Behavioral Physiologist (2006) .

With all due respect to the esteemed Drs. Capra and Litchfield, Yogi Berra may have said it best:

 “Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical.” - Yogi Berra, date unknown